The traditional notion of watching broadcast television at home has evolved into many different forms of viewing television content, on many different devices. For example, users can watch live and recorded television content, such as television programs, advertisements, sporting events, and movies on various display devices, to include televisions, computer displays, entertainment devices, and even mobile devices, such as tablets and mobile phones. Additionally, users are increasingly on-line more than ever and commonly multi-task while watching television content. For example, a viewer may be watching a television program or sporting event on a first-screen device, such as a television, while dividing his attention to also focus on a second screen device, such as a mobile phone supporting a text conversation with a friend or a tablet device with an email application. The viewer may be likely to pay more attention to the television (e.g., first-screen device) when the content is engaging, such as a scoring play in a sporting event, and then turn attention to the mobile device (e.g., second screen device) when the content is less interesting.
Multi-tasking around television viewing is creating both opportunities and challenges for multi-screen user experiences. While advertisers continue to devote a majority of their advertising budget to traditional television media, the advertisers also recognize that viewers are increasingly using and paying attention to second screen devices while watching television. Advertisers are developing advertising campaigns that attempt to capture viewer attention with related advertisements, both in the traditional “first-screen” television media and on the “second screen” mobile devices, where a first-screen advertisement triggers a content-related second screen advertisement or other event.
However, the synchronization of a first-screen advertisement with a second screen advertisement is a coordination challenge. A first-screen advertisement is more likely to be effective in capturing viewer attention when the television content is engaging, whereas a second screen advertisement is likely to be missed by the viewer while his or her attention remains on the first-screen device. Alternatively, a second screen advertisement or event is more likely to be seen by the viewer when the television content on the first-screen device is less interesting and his or her attention is on the second screen device. However, the viewer is more likely to miss a first-screen advertisement while focused on the second screen device.